Abstract
The southern African Miombo and Mopane ecoregions constitute a unique repository of plant diversity whose diversification and evolutionary history is still understudied. In this work, we assessed the diversity, distribution, and conservation status of Miombo and Mopane tree legumes within the Zambezian phytoregion. Data were retrieved from several plant and gene databases and phylogenetic analyses were performed based on genetic barcodes. Seventy-eight species (74 from Miombo and 23 from Mopane, 19 common to both ecoregions) have been scored. Species diversity was high within both ecoregions, but information about the actual conservation status is scarce and available only for ca. 15% of the species. Results of phylogenetic analyses were consistent with current legume classification but did not allow us to draw any conclusion regarding the evolutionary history of Miombo and Mopane tree legumes. Future studies are proposed to dissect the diversity and structure of key species in order to consolidate the network of conservation areas.
Highlights
Tropical dry forests and woodlands constitute a large portion of the world’s vegetation, covering one-sixth of the earth’s surface and more than half of the African continent [1,2]
The objectives of this study were: (i) to characterize the diversity and distribution of Miombo and Mopane tree legumes within the Zambezian phytoregion (Figure 1); (ii) to provide a unique view of their phylogenetic diversity and how these lineages have evolved across West and East African woodlands; and (iii) to provide new data to assist the implementation of conservation strategies and the sustainable management of the Mopane and Miombo woodlands
The largest number species waswoodlands found in Zambia, with 71 out to of both the 78 species(Table while the the largest number of species was found in Zambia, with out of the species
Summary
Tropical dry forests and woodlands constitute a large portion of the world’s vegetation, covering one-sixth of the earth’s surface and more than half of the African continent [1,2]. The Miombo and Mopane woodlands play an important role in the ecosystem dynamics, with respect to biodiversity, water, carbon and energy balance [9,10,11,12,13]. The Mopane woodlands represent the second most significant type of vegetation in the Zambezian phytoregion, covering approximately 600,000 km. The Mopane woodlands represent the second most significant type of vegetation in the Zambezian phytoregion, covering approximately 600,000 km2 This region includes two sub-areas (i.e., Zambezian and Mopane woodlands, and Angolan Mopane woodlands), and is distributed over northern Namibia, southern Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, southern Mozambique and northern South Africa [17,19]
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